I'm having weird home networking problems, and I need help.
April 12, 2014 6:54 AM Subscribe
My wireless connections aren't cooperating, but a wired connection to the wireless router is working. Help, por favor.
The setup: My router had two networks - 'Deanna', which is secured, and 'Deanna-guest' which is unsecured, but requires you to sign into it on a Web splash page. My smart tv has a wired connection (via a powerline adapter) to the router, and it's working perfectly fine.
A couple of days ago, my laptop (a macbook) and phone (a Samsung galaxy) disconnected from the secured network 'deanna', and when I attempted to reconnect, I was unsure of my password, so I tried a bunch of different passwords, and nothing worked.
'Deanna guest' was still working, and I was able to sign in, but the password I entered on the splash page DIDNT work when I tried to use it on the secured network (the passwords should be the same).
NOW, neither of them will let me log on, - the secured connection times out, and the unsecured network connects, but the splash page never loads. (same same on my laptop and phone) - but the TV is still connected and working.
Possibly unrelated note - the two networks come from the same router, but often show different signal strengths, which seems strange to me.
Halp me please!
The setup: My router had two networks - 'Deanna', which is secured, and 'Deanna-guest' which is unsecured, but requires you to sign into it on a Web splash page. My smart tv has a wired connection (via a powerline adapter) to the router, and it's working perfectly fine.
A couple of days ago, my laptop (a macbook) and phone (a Samsung galaxy) disconnected from the secured network 'deanna', and when I attempted to reconnect, I was unsure of my password, so I tried a bunch of different passwords, and nothing worked.
'Deanna guest' was still working, and I was able to sign in, but the password I entered on the splash page DIDNT work when I tried to use it on the secured network (the passwords should be the same).
NOW, neither of them will let me log on, - the secured connection times out, and the unsecured network connects, but the splash page never loads. (same same on my laptop and phone) - but the TV is still connected and working.
Possibly unrelated note - the two networks come from the same router, but often show different signal strengths, which seems strange to me.
Halp me please!
That will give you the ability to see your network settings.
If a 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 doesn't work connect your laptop to your router with a cable and do a traceroute command and see what your first hop is (that is your router's ip address).
You must know how to get to your router's setup somehow in order to have setup the two networks in the first place.
Have tried just restarting the router? Unplug from power for 5 seconds and then plug back in.
posted by srboisvert at 7:38 AM on April 12, 2014
If a 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 doesn't work connect your laptop to your router with a cable and do a traceroute command and see what your first hop is (that is your router's ip address).
You must know how to get to your router's setup somehow in order to have setup the two networks in the first place.
Have tried just restarting the router? Unplug from power for 5 seconds and then plug back in.
posted by srboisvert at 7:38 AM on April 12, 2014
You can usually find the default admin password by googling for "router model default admin password" in case you don't have the manual handy. You'll need that to get into the admin screen.
If nothing else works, you can always do a factory reset. Usually there's a button on back that you press for 4 or 10 seconds.
There are two settings you'll want to turn off for the future. uPnP shoud be disabled and there should be a setting for administering the router over the wireless network.
posted by BenevolentActor at 7:49 AM on April 12, 2014
If nothing else works, you can always do a factory reset. Usually there's a button on back that you press for 4 or 10 seconds.
There are two settings you'll want to turn off for the future. uPnP shoud be disabled and there should be a setting for administering the router over the wireless network.
posted by BenevolentActor at 7:49 AM on April 12, 2014
there should be a tiny button that you hold down to reset the router to the factory settings.....
posted by raildr at 7:50 AM on April 12, 2014
posted by raildr at 7:50 AM on April 12, 2014
Different networks strengths is a worry, so is the suddenly no longer working password.
I would replace the router. It is either on the verge of malfunctioning in more interesting ways, or it has been taken over by malicious software/third party.
posted by DreamerFi at 8:04 AM on April 12, 2014
I would replace the router. It is either on the verge of malfunctioning in more interesting ways, or it has been taken over by malicious software/third party.
posted by DreamerFi at 8:04 AM on April 12, 2014
Before you replace it I would recommend a factory reset and to investigate alternative firmwares such as tomato or dd-wrt.
posted by nostrada at 12:20 PM on April 12, 2014
posted by nostrada at 12:20 PM on April 12, 2014
Response by poster: Entering 192.168.etc into my browser didn't help, as the page wouldn't load (even when i was connected to the router via an ethernet cable, and was otherwise able to access the internet.) After attempting that, i had to go out, but when I head home i'm going to attempt a factory reset.
The router is less than two months old, so i'm assuming it's not a hardware problem. Malicious software is a concern, and i'm not sure i'd figure out if that was what's happening.
posted by Kololo at 1:35 PM on April 12, 2014
The router is less than two months old, so i'm assuming it's not a hardware problem. Malicious software is a concern, and i'm not sure i'd figure out if that was what's happening.
posted by Kololo at 1:35 PM on April 12, 2014
i'm assuming it's not a hardware problem
If it's a Belkin, don't assume that.
posted by flabdablet at 2:40 PM on April 12, 2014
If it's a Belkin, don't assume that.
posted by flabdablet at 2:40 PM on April 12, 2014
Factory reset. You'll have to set everything up again. If you continue to have problems, get a warranty replacement.
posted by cnc at 8:09 PM on April 12, 2014
posted by cnc at 8:09 PM on April 12, 2014
the passwords should be the same
Maybe they were the same, but you should never, ever do this.
posted by dhartung at 10:56 PM on April 12, 2014
Maybe they were the same, but you should never, ever do this.
posted by dhartung at 10:56 PM on April 12, 2014
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posted by k8t at 7:05 AM on April 12, 2014